News from the UNC General Alumni AssociationTODAYWe KnO\\! What They Did Last Surnrner

One of the best antidotes to the heat of a North Carolina summer is a vacation in the mountains. CampCheerio, near Roaring Gap, offers respite to parents and children alike.chance for kids to take basketball lessons fromSylvia Hatchell, Carolina women's basketballhead coach. Mindy Flow ' 82 of Durham saysher 9-year-old son, Walter, "loved the basket-ball clinic with Sylvia. Even now, he remem-bers just about everything she taught him."

Helping 'Eill Charge the FieldWhat's the best new career skill you should master? Calling your coach

I'm having trouble with my presentation skills at work," says a 35-year-old woman on one end of a phone conversation."Well, what's the problem?" a voice replieson the other end."I'm not sure, but I'm just not comfortablewith myself.""Do you think you are charging enoughfor your expertise?""Well ... nlaybe not.""J think that might be your problem," thevoice tells her. "Your skills are worth morethan you are charging, and that's making youuncomfortable."The woman is a client of the voice on theother end- her career coach, Linda Conklin,the alunmi career services coordinator for theGAA.Conklin deals with situations like the oneabove on a weekly basis, with a pool of clientswho call her for advice and guidance in notonly their careers, but also their lives."[t's one ofthe most effective ways of help-ing people achieve life goals," Conklin says."And career is part of life-you really can'tseparate the two."But career coaching, a relatively new trend,is not like a trip to the shrink; it more closelyresembles looking at yourself in the mirror,reflecting on where you are in life."r don't do therapy, which tends to look at'why,'" Conklin says. "Coaching looks at'Where I am now?' and 'Where do I want togo?' and 'How I am going to get there?'"In the year since Conklin began the service,the number ofher clients has doubled; mostare employed and want to change jobs. Someare happy with their careers but want to improvetheir leadership and management skills, orthey are having a specific problem with whichthey need help.Conklin works with her clients throughfour weekly 30-minute phone sessions, pricedat $100 for GAA members and $200 for non-members. Some choose to keep in touch foras long as a year or more."One of the first things I use is 'clean(See Career Coach, Page 74)CAR0LINA ALUMNIREVlEW 73